Heroes & Heroines

Heroes & Heroines

Learn about some of Alabama's most famous Alabamians.

North Alabama was home to several courageous people who changed the world. Visit the Helen Keller Birthplace in Tuscumbia and learn about the “First Lady of Courage” and all the strides she made for the deaf and blind. In Oakville, visit the Jesse Owens Museum and Oakville Indian Mound Park to learn about Owens’ Olympic triumph over Adolf Hitler in the 1936 Olympics and how Sequoia created the Cherokee alphabet. And not too far from Oakville is the home of General Joe Wheeler, who was a general in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War. Learn about these famous north Alabamians and more on the Heroes & Heroines tour.

Tour Timeline: Any Season

(Please note, depending on when flight arrives at Huntsville International Airport, optional afternoon and evening receptions or destination stops may be added.)

Destinations

1. Helen Keller Home, Gardens and Museum

Located just a couple miles from Spring Park. The plantation home and birthplace cottage, dating back to the 1820’s are listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. Original furnishings of the Keller family decorate the home and museum, highlighted by hundreds of Miss Keller’s personal mementos, books, and gifts from her lifetime of travel and lectures for the betterment of the world’s blind and deaf-blind.

3. General Joe Wheeler Home

Known as Pond Spring, was home to Fighting Joseph Wheeler, former Major General of Cavalry of the Confederate western army. Wheeler was a U.S. Congressman following the Civil War. “Fightin’ Joe” Wheeler became a national symbol for reunification and reconciliation following the Civil War and throughout the latter half of the 19th Century.

6. Old State Bank

The Old State Bank was one of three banks authorized by the The Alabama General Assembly in 1832. Few structures can boast as varied a past as the Bank. Since its construction, the building has weathered two depressions and a Civil War, and has served as hospital, guardhouse, bank and dance hall. Named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1972, the Classic Revival architecture of the Bank is symbolic of the period in which it was built.

11. Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration keep a constant prayer vigil at the Shrine, inviting people from all walks of life and faiths to see what the Lord has accomplished here. The Shrine grounds consist of : Cloistered Monastery, Upper and Lower church, near life sized Nativity scene, Lourdes Grotto, John Paul II Eucharistic Center, and the Castle which houses the Gift Shop of El Nino, conference rooms, and downstairs dining area.

12. EarlyWorks

The EarlyWorks Family of Museums include the Alabama Constitution Village, the Huntsville Depot and Museum, and EarlyWorks Children's History Museum. These three museums in the heart of historic downtown Huntsville will take you on a journey back in time. Experience history as it comes to life.

13. US Space & Rocket Center

Huntsville is home to the largest space museum in the world: the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Not only is America’s space program on exhibit in Huntsville, it was forged in Huntsville. We’re known as the “Rocket City” because Huntsville, Alabama is where rockets were developed that put men on the moon.

14. Alabama Constitution Village

Step inside the picket fence and be transported back to 1819…Hear the whirl of the spinning wheel… smell the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread being prepared over an open fire… turn the great wheel lathe in the cabinetmaker’s shop… and visit with villagers busy with their daily tasks, seemingly unaware that nearly two centuries have come and gone.
Forty-four delegates of the constitutional convention gathered here in a vacant cabinet shop on July 5, 1819, to organize Alabama as the 22nd state. John Boardman’s print shop, Clement Comer Clay’s law office, the Federal Land Surveyor’s office, a post office and sheriff Stephen Neal’s residence surround that cabinet shop.

15. Huntsville Botanical Garden

Huntsville Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Madison County, right off I-565, adjacent to the US Space & Rocket Center and offers the optimal blend – wildlife, foliage, florals, trails, specialty gardens, pavilions, a butterfly house, walkways, lakes, and more.

16. Lowe Mill

America's largest independent art facility! With more than 200 artists in 127 incredible studios, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment is the place to be in Huntsville if you are a lover of art, music, food and fun. With over a hundred artists working in public studio spaces, three art galleries, a theater that hosts every imaginable kind of live performance, a record store, food stands, and dozens of events, shows, classes every month, there is always something fun to do at Lowe Mill.